


Farewell

by ProPinkist



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: :'D, Angst, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I continue to suck at picking titles but what else is new, I didn't choose major character death cause it's not actually in the fic?, Major Spoilers, and is as par for the course for me and ph it's incredibly angsty!, my first ph fic woooo, why didn't this happen....... OTL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-09-01 00:54:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8600749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProPinkist/pseuds/ProPinkist
Summary: Saying goodbye hadn't been afforded to him before. This time, he could, but Oz didn't think he had ever been faced with something so difficult in all his life.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Pandora Hearts fic, and I have had this idea for... a long time now. I just reread the series, so I'm finally getting around to writing it. Chapter 92 broke me, as I know it did everyone, but the thing that hurt me most of all if I'm being honest is the lack of any sort of aftermath or resolution with Oz and Gilbert (sorry for not involving Alice, but she was never that attached to Break so I unfortunately decided to leave her out). So this is my attempt to fix that.
> 
> I hope it's satisfactory. Break is difficult to write, but he means so much to me and so many others, so I hope I did him justice.

“I will… stay here.”

Oz halted in his run sharply, turning slowly back towards the person who had spoken, and hoped that his ears were deceiving him.

“I have to find my lady… And you can count on me to keep anyone else from heading to the door.

“…All right?”

Break smiled at him sweetly, but it was nothing more than a fake reassurance, and as Oz took in his words and that expression, he felt his stomach beginning to drop in the way that it had a mere day earlier, after Oscar – after that chaos, and in his mind, the final two words uttered rang incredibly, terribly _wrong._

Oz watched as Break continued to hold his smile, noticing the trembling weakness in the entirety of his body, the paleness that was extreme even for him, and the blood covering his chin and shoulders, and all he could think about was how very cold Break’s hand holding his earlier had felt… so very, frighteningly cold.

_The tea party… was only a dream, in the end._

The realization hit him like a truck, and his feet carried Oz to Break’s side once more, a voice in the back of his mind telling him that there was no time, but a louder, more sensitive, scared voice telling him that that wasn’t important right now… what was most important now was _right here._

“…Oz…?”

His arms encircled Break’s waist before he could stop himself, and Oz leaned his head into the man’s chest, knowing Break wasn’t fond of this kind of affection but needing it even still. The smell of candy and cake was so faint now, being masked by the stronger scent of blood and sweat, and Oz’s throat constricted as he felt and heard Break’s tired and labored breathing from being so close to him. He loosened his squeeze worriedly, not wanting to hurt the other, and bit his lip in a futile attempt to clear his mind.

After what felt like an eternity, Oz managed to speak.

“…Thanks.”

It wasn’t what he had truly wanted to say, but he didn’t know how he could possibly convey everything he felt even if he had all the time and the strongest voice (and it had already slightly cracked even just from that one sentence, damn it) in the world. He also didn’t wish to make things sound so final, because Break wouldn’t be one to talk like that, so none of them should either, even if the pain in Oz’s heart told him with absolute certainty of the real, terrible finality of this meeting. Elliot and Oscar had been shocking, and he thought perhaps that he still hadn’t truly processed both of them for how recently they had occurred… but Break… this was something he had watched happen for a long time now, and the culmination of it was something he had always known deep down, but hoped he would never truly have to witness.

It was nothing, and everything, in that single word he spoke.

“F-For whatever for, Oz?” Break patted his head with his sleeve cheerfully, his instinctive chuckle coming out more like a cough. Oz reveled in the feeling of the familiar presence in his hair, squeezing his eyes shut in a last-ditch effort to keep the tears at bay.

“Just… for everything… you’ve done.” _For giving Gil a home after I was gone, and helping him during those ten years. For helping us in our fight. For saving us multiple times. For telling us your past, no matter how difficult it must have been for you. For giving us time off after we lost Elliot. For annoying us, for infuriating us with your confusing words, for making us smile, for making us laugh, for being kind, for being everything that is **you.**_

“...Sentimental, aren’t we, Oz? I’m quite certain I’ve never done anything… worthy of your thanks,” Break replied, still half-heartedly trying to sound teasing.

“…Y-You’re wrong… I meant every word I said.”

Break said nothing, instead moving both arms around Oz’s back after a few moments of hesitation in a loose embrace. Oz smiled weakly as he felt it, savoring as much as he could the warmth of his body and the heartbeat that, while not strong, was still there.

“…You’ll… make me all my favorite things at that tea party of yours to thank me, then… won’t you?”

Oz’s eyes widened at the words, Break’s voice so uncharacteristically kind, soft, and sad, and it was then that he finally felt the tears falling, his heart breaking at this façade but not being able to ruin it at the same time.

“…Yes… y-yes of course, Break… A-Anything you want, just name it!”

“That’s… a dangerous way of thinking… you know, Oz~” Break said weakly in response, the sad smile in his voice somehow still evident.

“Oz.”

He started at the sound of Gilbert’s voice, and the soft footsteps slowly approaching, and when the hand rested on his head, he knew what the silent command was, but couldn’t bring himself to obey it no matter how much his heart told him he needed to ( _the longer we stay, the harder it will be to leave forever_ ).

“Oz… we have to go” Gilbert murmured, moving his hand to rest on Oz’s shoulder. “We can’t… can’t w-wait… too… too lo – ”

His voice dissolved into sobs as his head dropped onto Break’s, his single hand moving to the man’s shoulder. Oz watched him in surprise, but eventually smiled sadly, Gilbert’s audible cries only making himself weep more. He knew his valet often held himself back for his own sake, so seeing him be able to let go relieved Oz in some small way despite the tragedy of the current situation. They had suffered so much terrible loss in just a few days, and he knew the heaviness they both felt right now was not just from Break, but from everything else as well.

He knew how much Gilbert cared for Break, even if it didn’t always seem like it. He had known him for far longer than Oz ever had, and although Break told him, as he did everyone, to use him for his own ends, Oz knew Gilbert felt differently. After all, the eccentric hatter was one of the few people Gilbert had had to rely on during those ten years without him, and even if he had caused him plenty of hardship, Oz thought that his valet looked up to Break and saw him as something of a mentor even still.

Because Break was kinder than he himself believed. Oz found himself desperate to let him know this, his urgency increasing the pain in his chest even more.

“You too, G-Gilbert?” Break finally managed in response to the Raven’s presence, his voice cracking and exhausted as he pulled one arm off of Oz to rest heavily on Gilbert’s hunched back. Any attempts to be Break-like were no more now, his weak breaths hitching in his throat as it sounded as if he wanted to sob himself. “You kids… cry so easily… o-over nothing… I didn’t w-want you to see me like this…”

“D-Don’t even try to call this nothing, or something we shouldn’t have to see, damn you!” Gilbert choked out, his grief evident. “You’re always causing me so much trouble, y-you know! …I-I agreed to be your left eye… s-so now I’m gonna be both, and I mean that!”

Break laughed faintly, and Oz just barely felt his hold on his back grow tighter.

“…Silly… saying that when you… don’t even h-have both of your arms… a-anymore.”

Oz let out a small cry of alarm as Break sagged against him, his legs lacking the strength to hold himself up any longer. Gilbert grabbed hold of the smaller man as best he could to support him, and with Oz’s help, they carried him to the side of the wide, empty space, gently sitting him against the wall. Break could barely keep his single eye open anymore, and his breaths came in quick gasps, as if it was all he could do to stay alive just a few minutes longer. Oz wept harder at the sight, stooping beside Break and taking his ice cold hand in his to comfort him. Gilbert slowly loosened his cravat in an attempt to give him as much air as possible, and gently brushed Break’s messy hair out of his face, even knowing it wasn’t necessary for his sightless eye anymore.

“…Rest here, alright?” Gilbert whispered, his voice somewhat stabilized even as his tears continued to fall. “…We’ll… we’ll come g-get you after we’ve stopped Glen and… g-granted the Intention’s wish for you.”

“I was… supposed to do it…myself…” Break managed with tremendous effort, silent tears streaming down his face. “But… t-thank you… for… h-helping her for… me.”

Oz reached forward and hugged the man again, his heart and his eyes crying as he tried to convey to Break everything he meant to them, and more.

“Y-You’ve done so much… It’s no trouble a-at all.”

Gilbert nodded in agreement, squeezing Break’s other hand and trying to bravely smile. “…It’s the least we could do.”

Oz leaned back, and his gaze trailed down to where Break sat. Peeking out from underneath his coat from where it had fallen was Emily, the stuffed toy covered in dirt and blood from constantly staying with Break, but otherwise in one piece. Oz stared at it, biting his lip, and then he heard Break speaking, somehow reading his mind even when he couldn’t see what he was looking at.

“…Oz… t-take Emily for… me?”

He jerked his head up in surprise, and saw the other man holding his gaze, even as his eye threatened to close completely and no sight entered it. Break weakly smiled; a small, sad smile, but one nonetheless, reassuring him that it was okay. Biting his lip, Oz reached out, taking the small doll away from the one it had been with for years now, and held it close against his heart. Logic wanted him to say that the little toy would be in danger with the fighting that was surely up ahead, that it would be much safer remaining at Break’s side… but he said nothing, knowing that that didn’t matter in this moment.

Oz knew what the meaning of Break giving it to him was. Even in his grief, he was eternally touched and grateful.

“…Thank you…” Oz whispered, his tears falling onto Emily as he inhaled Break’s familiar scent on the doll. “…I’ll take good care of it.”

Break smiled more, closing his eye and heaving a sigh of relief. “…I am glad… s-she’s… in good hands now.”

Gilbert held Break close to him, hugging him once more and whispering words of thanks, and then rested him back against the wall and proceeded to stand up. Oz’s swallowed thickly, knowing that they couldn’t afford to waste any more time, and he forced himself to grasp Break’s hand again for just a few final seconds. It was small and frail, as Break had always been, but Oz knew the incredible amount of strength it possessed as well. Strength to protect anyone and everyone he cared about, with his fierce determination, stubbornness, and love that never faded no matter how much his body suffered from it.

After what felt like an eternity, Oz spoke.

“…I’m going to do what only I can do, just as you told me, Break. …Because I’m alive thanks to you and so many others, just as I told you before.”

He moved Emily aside to place Break’s hand over his heart as gently as he could, feeling sad but at the same time comforted.

“…Please… P-Please believe in me. I’ll live, and I’ll save this world… this world where I belong. …I promise, Break.”

Break, using what little strength he still had, slowly inched his hand up, painstakingly, until he reached Oz’s head, ruffling his hair the slightest bit. His smile was terribly sad, but at the same time, hopeful, and even as Oz tried to remain strong for him in these last few moments, all he could think about was how much this man deserved to live, and how desperately he wished he could make that a reality even just for a little while longer.

“…I know you will… Oz.”

He let his hand fall again, and after giving it one last loving squeeze, Oz stood up and headed back towards Gilbert and Alice, away from Xerxes Break for the last time and onwards to his destiny.

**Author's Note:**

> Right after this, Reim and Sharon would show up. Fits right in between canon scenes.


End file.
